Proposed Border Bill , Raises Questions About Activation of , Border Emergency Authority.<br />'Newsweek' reports that the Senate's proposed <br />$118 billion southern border bill has drawn <br />scrutiny for the number of migrants <br />allowed to enter the country annually. .<br />Confusion has reportedly circled around the <br />daily average and the belief it could permit as <br />many as 1.8 million annual migrant crossings.<br />In December, over 300,000 migrant encounters <br />were reported at the Southwest border, according <br />to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.<br />The proposed legislation looks to deter <br />the influx of migrants at the border by<br />imposing tougher rules on migration and <br />increasing the number of Border Patrol agents.<br />'Newsweek' reports that one aspect of the <br />proposed legislation revolves around the <br />activation of border emergency authority.<br />According to the legislation, Department of Homeland Security , "shall activate the border emergency authority if, <br />during a period of seven consecutive calendar <br />days, there is an average of 5,000 or more <br />aliens who are encountered each day.".<br />The language of the proposed law has drawn criticism, <br />as a hypothetical 5,000 migrants per day for a 365-day <br />period equals about 1.825 million migrants annually.<br />Republican Senator James Lankford, one of the bill's <br />co-sponsors, defended the legislation and attempted to <br />clarify the meaning of the Border Emergency Authority.<br />Republican Senator James Lankford, one of the bill's <br />co-sponsors, defended the legislation and attempted to <br />clarify the meaning of the Border Emergency Authority.<br />The emergency authority is not <br />designed to let 5,000 people in, <br />it is designed to close the border <br />and turn 5,000 people around. , James Lankford, Republican Senator, via 'Newsweek'.<br />The Border Emergency Authority only lasts <br />3 yrs to force this Admin to shut down the <br />border & to give time for the next POTUS <br />to hire more agents & more officers, James Lankford, Republican Senator, via 'Newsweek'.<br />After three years, the emergency authority <br />expires because we should have regained <br />full control of our border by then, James Lankford, Republican Senator, via 'Newsweek'
